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SEPA 1/8 Flagline Army Vet. Frank Wheeler
Frank A Wheeler III, 76, of Newtown, PA, passed away peacefully at home on December 31, 2023 with his loving wife Suzanne and family by his side.
Son of the late Frank A Jr. and Olive Wheeler, he was born in 1947 at the Patrick Henry Village Army base in Heidelberg, Germany where his father was stationed. He was nick-named Buddy by his father, who often called him “his little Buddy.” He attended school in Ludwigsburg from 1952 to1955.
After arriving in the US, Buddy grew up in Hamilton, NJ, where he graduated from Steinert High School in 1965, and went on to receive an Associate’s Degree from Trenton Junior College. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and had many friends in the Youth Fellowship Group. As an Explorer Scout, he canoed the entire length of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. During summers he caddied at his uncle Larry’s golf course in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, where he also spent a lot of good times with his close cousins. He loved the music of the 1960's and his favorite group was The Rolling Stones.
After college he volunteered to join the Army, as he was soon to be drafted during the Vietnam War. He served honorably from 1967-70. After Fort Dix, he went to Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas for Dental School, then to Fitzsimmons Medical Center. He was deployed to Chu Li, Vietnam from 1968-69 where he served as a Dental Technician. He finished his service at Fort Belvoir.
In 2006 he retired from PSE&G Electric in Lawrenceville, NJ as a Chief Relay Technician after 36 years of dedicated service to the public. He was highly regarded for his wealth of knowledge and was frequently relied upon for his expertise. He worked in all kinds of bad weather to restore customer’s electric. There were many instances when it took him hours to get to work through the heavy snow or freezing rain, but couldn’t get into the driveway at work!
He enjoyed family picnics and special events, and taking weekend trips with his sons to hot air balloon shows, the boardwalks at the Jersey shore, and going to watch drag races at Raceway Park. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, whether it was watching them play sports, helping them build Legos, or sharing a laugh over dinner. He often spent time with them sharing stories of his life experiences and teaching them about coin collecting.
Frank and Suzanne enjoyed several trips together, including a honeymoon cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, and vacations in Ireland, California, New Orleans, and Florida. But mostly they loved taking weekend getaways and day trips. They loved exploring historic Bucks County where they live, and found a lot of joy together in doing simple things.
Predeceased by his father-in-law David T. Hammer, Frank is survived by Suzanne (Hammer) Wheeler, his loving wife and partner of almost 40 years; his son Dan and wife Marlene Wheeler, son Bryan Wheeler; grandchildren Ryan, Jonathan, Chase, and Renee; his siblings, Virginia (Jim) O’Brien, Wendy (Tom) Thompson, and Larry (Pam) Wheeler; Jane Dahlgren, mother of Dan and Bryan; Jacklene Cupples, mother of Chase; Mother-in-law Lynn Hammer; sisters-in-law Sheryl (Ron) Burke, Debbi (Will) Allen, and brother-in-law Michael (Darlene) Hammer; and several nieces and nephews.
The public is invited to gather with Frank’s family on January 18th at 2:30pm, at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Road in Newtown, PA 18940, where Frank will be laid to rest with military honors.
Date: 1/18
Rally Time: 2:00
Location: Washington's Crossing National Cemetery
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Warrior in honor of my grandfather WWII vet
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